Fourths to j



(No Model.)

P. LUGENBELL.

FIFTH WHEEL.

No. 472,894. Patented Apr. '12, 1892."

l W N f W m 4 Z W a i D/ UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETERLUGEN'BELL, OF GREENSBURG, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO J. s. LUGENBELL, J. W. DONAVIN, L. K. DONAVIN, AND

G. B. DONAVIN, OF DELAWARE,

OHIO.

f FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,894, dated April 12, 1892.

- Application filed September 5 1891. Serial No. 404,850. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER LUGENBELL, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of Decatur and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable other skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fifth-wheels for vehicles, and has for its object to provide a lock-joint between the head-block and the axle, dispense with a king-bolt, obtainan increased surface for sustaining the load and distributing the Wear, and insure an even and uniform bearing and wearing of the parts comprising the fifth-wheel proper.

The improvement consists of the novel features and the peculiar construction and combination of the parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and which are shown in the annexed drawings, in which-1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fifthwheel embodying my invention, showing a suflicient portion of the running-gear to illustrate the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the head-block axle and transom-plates. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the top transom-plate. Fig. 4is a top plan view of the lower transom-plate.

The segments a a are provided at the ends of the plate A, which is secured on the axle B. The semicircle O is strengthened by the plate D, upon which the head block E is mounted. The top transom-plate is provided with recess f in its upper side, which receives and forms a seat for the head-block, and with lateral ears or arms f, which extend in the front and the rear of the head-block to receive the bolts G and H, which connect the said arms or cars f with the perch-plate'l.

The under side or face of plate F is provided with the oblong recess f which extends in the direction of the length of the axle. The walls of this recess flare, so that the contour at the inner closed end is of circular form. The vertical opening f in the center of the plate concentric with the recess f receives the pin j, which is projected up from the bottom transom-plate J and which forms the axis of the fifth-wheel and takes the place of a king-bolt. The lower transom-plate J, which is secured to the plate A, is provided on its top side with an oblong projection j, which corresponds in shape to the form of the recess f The major axis of this projection j is at right angles to the length of the axle. The edges of the said projection j flare upwardly and with the corresponding walls of the recess f form a lock-joint and hold the head block and the axle together, thereby dispensing with a king-bolt. The meeting faces of the transom-plates F and J relieve the wearing-surfaces of the fifth-wheel.

The perch-plate I passes through a keeper K, secured to the under side of the axle and is pivotally connected with the said axle and keeper by the pin or bolt is. The ends of the perch-plate are apertured to permit the passage of the bolts G and H, which connect the arms of the transom-plate F with the perchplate. The perch L is pivotally connected with the front gears by the bolt G. The bolt His provided with two nuts h, between which the front arm or'ear of the transom-plate F extends. By a proper regulation of the nuts h the relative disposition of the segments a a. and the semicircle O can be adjusted to obtain an even and uniform bearing between the said partsa Ct and O.

In assembling the parts the axle must be turned at right angles to the head-block to bring the projection j inproper position to enter the recess f After thesaid projection j has entered therecessf the axle is turned parallel with the head-block and the two become locked.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a fifth-wheel, the combination, with the axle and the head-blocks, the plates J and F, secured, respectively, to the said axle and the head-block and having a pin between them which forms the axis of the fifth-wheel and having a mutually-interlocking recess and projection and having a wearing-surface exterior to and surrounding the. said recess and projection, the upper plate having front and rear arms integrally formed therewith, 'the perch-plate pivoted between its ends and ex- I tending in the front and the rear of the axle,

the perch having its front end between the rear end of the perch-plate and the said rear arm, of plate F and bolts connecting the said arms of plate F and the perch-plate, the rear bolt passing through the said perch, and the two nuts h h on the threaded end of thebolt H to adj ustably connect the front arm of the plate F with the front portion of the perchplate, substantially as shown, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER LUGENBELL.

Witnesses:

J 0s. L. LUOHTE, J OHN O; IMLEY. 

